Sacrifices
by Reservoir
Summary: Alt!Timeline where Trunks is, for unknown reasons, unable to return to his timeline. Now he's left to find his own place in this new world, and deal with the problems it presents, if his burning desires for his own time don't consume him first. Rated M, in case future content isn't tame enough for anything else. This is my first fanfic, so constructive criticism welcome!
1. Chapter 1: Unexpected Problems

Authors Note: As always, DBZ is NOT owned by me, and all copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Enjoy!

* * *

Trunks stood outside of his time-traveling machine, mystified and queasy. He had powered its systems numerous times since Cells death, and each time it had failed without hesitation or explanation. Now, he was with it in a Capsule Corp. machine shop, near where his mother's past self lived. There was a quiet whooshing sound as the door automatically opened, and a young Gohan stepped through, making his way to where Trunks was standing.

"Hey, Trunks?" the young Gohan, still not far recovered from the final fight with Cell, queried while Bulma, on the other side of the machine, rummaged through some of the machine's electrical workings on the other side. "Wow, still working on it, huh? You think you know what's wrong with it?"

The older half-Saiyan sighed and slumped his shoulders. "I wish I did, really." He motioned to his mother – well, the younger version of her, anyway. "Me and her have both gone over it a dozen times. It should be working – it should have worked, period."

Gohan glanced over at Bulma, who nodded momentarily before replacing the panel that covered the electronics she had been checking over. "Despite having to take a speed-learning course with Professor Trunks here, I think I can say with certainty that he's right," she said as she stepped over towards the two, "it should be working just fine."

Gohan looked at the machine proper this time, as he had when Trunks had first shown up years ago. "So that means you can't go back to your own time, right?"

Trunks bowed his head for a moment, clenching his fists. "I'll find a way; I have to. The Androids in my time still need to be stopped."

Bulma cocked her head to the side, thinking. "You know, Trunks...maybe when you came back this time, you changed the flow of time so drastically...maybe you've changed that time line, or maybe even erased it from the multiverse..."

He shook his head, frowning. "Mom, if I'd done that, I'd have started a paradox: in order for me to continue existing here in this timeline, my timeline would need to exist. If it no longer exists, then neither should I...which means I would've never traveled back, thus preventing me from accidentally causing its erasure...which would only mean I'd exist again!" He sighed and growled as he glared at his machine. "I can't exist if my timeline doesn't, which means that it does. And I NEED to get back."

Gohan rubbed his head gently. "Okay, you kinda lost me at the paradox part, and now I have a headache. If you two need anything, just let us know; otherwise, my Mom really wants me home in time to study."

Bulma happily acknowledged his offer, and waved as he left for the Son Goku household. Behind her, Trunks was still facing his time machine, anger broiling just under the surface. She turned and saw him, reading his body language as if it were Vegeta's – fitting enough, given that he was their son. She quietly walked over and placed her hand on his shoulder, causing him to jerk for a moment in surprise.

"Listen, Trunks," Bulma said quietly, "I know you want to go back home, and I promise you we'll find a way...but, for now, my dad has several guest houses here in the city, near the Capsule Corp. premises. Go ahead and get your things to make yourself comfortable, I can get you the key..."

He shook his head, bowing it again. "Don't worry about it – I can sleep in the machine, so I don't take up any space..."

Bulma crossed her arms and tilted her head down, letting her voice go a little louder than usual. "No, sir, you won't. Future or no, I won't let a son of mine sleep in a chair when he can sleep comfortably in a properly-furnished guest bedroom. Now," she said as she pointed at the door, "please get your stuff and go to the lobby, and I'll get a key for a guest house."

Trunks eyes widened, and the discipline instilled by her future self quickly reared its head in him. "Yes, ma'am!" he said as he grabbed his bags, taking only moments before bounding out of the shop door towards the lobby. Bulma giggled quietly to herself before following him out.

/

First it was weeks; denial turned to melancholy as the 'Future' Trunks continued to hit wall after wall, his machine refusing every attempt to return to his own timeline. Then it became anger in the following months, wherein sleep became elusive even as he spent more and more time tinkering with the machine that had become the source of a new-found hate.

Gohan had helped some, at least. He wasn't much for training, thanks to Chi-Chi, but he did routinely spar with the older Trunks just to help the latter ease his mind; Trunks knew that the fact Goku would've approved of the 'training' probably motivated his growing son further, though. Trunks was secretly glad for the time they'd shared, as Gohan was the one of the few who could fight him as an equal without being...overbearing about it. He'd even sparred with Gohan while the latter was in the Super Saiyan '2' form, which clearly outclassed anything he'd seen before; the fact such a form existed had brought him hope that he could attain it himself, and use it to end the Android threat in his own timeline.

While Trunks had tried to strengthen the small bond he had with his father, Vegeta, in the time since Cells defeat, he'd found his fathers training regimen to be far too extreme for him. Vegeta first loudly chastised him, then just glowered as Trunks left, clearly disappointed at how Trunks seemed to lack the typical Saiyan desire for strength and power. He knew his father cared for him in his own way, though; his father was disciplined, dedicated to keeping his body in top physical condition, and by showing his desire for Trunks to share in that vision, he inadvertently revealed he at least cared in some way about 'the boy' himself.

Right now, though, Trunks found himself sitting on a nameless ridge in a nameless section of forest, where a massive, rolling collection of green plains spread out in front of him. His clothing was dirty, and his body wasn't exactly clean either; he'd spent the last couple of days away from everything the last few months had thrown at him, and although there was a light air of refreshment about him, his distress was still quite obvious. Despite having actually slept out here in the wilderness, dark lines ran deeply under his eyes, and his mind continued to fare poorly in the act of processing his frustrating 'new life' in this timeline.

Even though it wasn't that hot, sweat ran down his face as his emotions boiled within him. He felt guilty about every enjoyable moment he'd had since his resurrection; here he was, getting to see the world of non-apocolyptia, enjoying it's sweetness and splendor while his own world, the antithesis of this one, continued to wait for him to return and save it. He knew that, once he found out what was wrong with his hateful machine, he could return to the exact moment after he left, but that wasn't what bothered him. No, what bothered him was that he could feel time ticking off his life every moment he remained here in this place, and the idea that one day he'd simply be too old to do any good, any at all, scared the hell out of him. With every breath he took, he wondered just how close 'his' world was coming to its death.

He was interrupted by a slight tug to the right of his mind, almost like an annoying pinch on his temple. It was subtle, but measurable enough to identify the specific person who was causing it; Krillin was nearby, moving slowly towards him. In the distance, he could hear him yelling out his name, as if he was looking for him intentionally. Collecting this thoughts, Trunks sighed, not really in a mood for company; nevertheless, he allowed his ki to flow farther out than usual so that Krillin could sense where he was.

It only took half a minute for Krillin to drop down from the skies, landing with a hearty thud. The short, usually-cheery human was wearing normal clothes for once; sandals, swimming trunks, and a sleeveless t-shirt that sported the Capsule Corp logo. "There you are!" he said as he looked over the ragged look Trunks was sporting. "Bulma's been pestering everybody this morning to go looking for you; she said she hadn't seen you in a couple of days, and she's kinda worried about you."

Trunks just blinked, then shrugged. "Well, you found me. Guess you can go tell her I'm okay. Don't know when I'll head back, though."

Krillin frowned. "I hate to be Operative Obvious here, but you don't look all that well. I'm not a genius, but I know not being able to get back home's gotta be-"

"I'm fine!" Trunks yelled, causing Krillin to take a step back.

Krillin looked like he was about to argue, but a more feminine voice cut through from above the forest. "Krillin!" the woman yelled, "I take it you've found the kid?"

Trunks blood chilled as he took a step back; even as Krillin replied positively to the airborne voice, memories of his own timeline snaked their way around his brain, coiling into a paralyzing grip as an all-too-familiar form dropped down from the sky.

18 was dressed similarly to Krillin, as he'd invited her to a beach outing before Bulma had recruited them to look for Trunks. She was wearing a one-piece bathing suite under a long, peach-colored t-shirt that loosely held to her body, with a pair of matching-colored sandals to complete the outfit. She landed with far more grace than Krillin had, and took a moment to absentmindedly flick her hair out of her eyes before taking a good look at Trunks. "Hey there," she said simply.

The cold chill in his blood was quickly replaced with a boiling heat, and he gave her a good Saiyan death-glare as he bared his teeth. "Krillin," he said with a hiss, "why is she still alive!?"

Krillin had forgotten that everybody had been avoiding the topic of the still-living Androids in this timeline, not wanting to upset the future Trunks further. He took a step back as he realized the gravity of the situation. "Uh, well...after Cell was killed, we wished everyone back, and got the bombs in them removed...and I don't think 18 plans on blowing anything up anytime soon..."

18 chuckled, unaware and oblivious to the problem. "Never really was all that into blowing things up; it was fun, but -"

"SHUT UP!" Trunks yelled with a burst of energy, his hair now floating freely in the air as his ki skyrocketed. In his rage, he saw nothing of the 18 who was in front of him; instead he only saw the 18 of his nightmares, and the Saiyan blood in him demanded that he tear her apart with his bare hands.

"Wow," 18 said, frowning as she crossed her arms. "That was rude."

"You know what!? I don't care!" Trunks yelled back. "You and your brother destroyed my Earth, in MY time; and because you're just the same as they are, you deserve no less than they do!" His ki continued to rise, shaking the earth beneath their feet. "Maybe I'm stuck here for good, and maybe I'll never get back home to kill you and 17 in my timeline." He clenched his fists and entered a charging stance, preparing himself. "But maybe, just maybe...killing you two here will do just fine!" He roared in rage, a golden aura flowing out and around him as his hair went gold itself, and his eyes shifted to a bright blue.

Before 18 had a chance to react, let alone get into a fighting stance, he leaped through the air, charging at her with a furious growl.


	2. Chapter 2: Breakdown

The last time 18 had fought against Trunks, she'd been more than a match for the half-Saiyan. However, spending two years with his father in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, along with the recent sparring with Gohan, had given the boy an edge she could've never expected; she was unpleasantly surprised, then, when she found herself already tumbling through the air thanks to a well-place right hook.

It only took microseconds for her combat systems to engage, and her primary power core to begin outputting at 100%, but in that time the enraged Trunks had already caught up to her and had grabbed her by her foot. He swung her upwards, his intent on harshly slinging her into the ground obvious by the look on his face. Focusing on that look, she aimed and kicked with her other foot as hard as she could, and his grip slipped for an instant. She tried to tug her held foot out of his hands, and instead yelped in pain as she found herself being slammed into the ground anyway.

As she settled into the shattered earth around her, she quickly shifted her power output mode so that she could move as fast as possible. With her power shifted, she shot forward out of the hole, doing a flipping leap over Trunks as she barely dodged his clenched fists slamming the pile of rocks she'd just been under.

Her internal systems were screaming in her mind, warning her that her internal, inertia-less drive system was operating at 120% recommended power; she could feel the heat rolling off her body as her cybernetic systems and implants began to overheat. She dodged the next two punches Trunks threw, but was unable to dodge a final straight punch to her chest, which sent her back towards the ridge, her toes digging trenches into the ground as she skidded backwards.

As she stumbled to a stop, she had one small moment to realize how badly she was losing; she inhaled harshly as her face twitched in pain as she looked towards Trunks, only to then exhale loudly in shock as he closed the gap and clotheslined her, hitting her hard enough to send her through the rock of the ridge behind her, and on into the plains ahead. Trunks walked over and stood atop the ridge, clearly satisfied with himself while simmering in righteous anger. As 18 got up on one knee, coughing up blood, he raised a glowing hand in her direction, ready to rid the world of one Android.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" yelled an unexpected, furious Krillin as he flew through the air and kneed Trunks hard in the left side of his face. The boy, surprised, painlessly stumbled a couple of steps, his level of strength rendering he humans strike worthless; Krillin knew that, though, and instead used that moment to quickly jump over to where 18 was kneeling. He crouched down, draping one of her arms over his shoulders as he pushed upwards to help her stand.

Meanwhile, Trunks had regained his composer and stared down at the two, not understanding what he was seeing. "What are you doing, Krillin!?" he yelled.

Krillin gave him a harsh enough stare that Trunks took a step back in surprise. "If you think you're going to kill 18, then you're just going to have to hit me first!" he answered through gritted teeth.

"WHAT!?" Trunks yelled. "Are you crazy!? What's wrong with you!?"

"LOOK WHO'S TALKING!" Krillin roared, startling even 18 with his voice.

Trunks blinked, and for a moment a feeling of wrongness settled around him. He looked at the couple now with clearer eyes; at first glance, he could see 18 was trying to push Krillin away, but another glance confirmed that the concern in her eyes was for his safety, not hers. Meanwhile, Krillins intent on keeping himself in the line of fire was obvious, as he maintained his position between her and Trunks even as her fidgeting became more frantic.

Shame welled up inside Trunks as his heart sunk low with his hand, he unconsciously dropped his Super Saiyan form, tears clouding his vision as he trembled; eventually, his balance went as well, and he stumbled backwards onto his rear. It was about this time that another figure flew in from the sky; Gohan had been helping in the search, and had made a beeline for the group once the fight had begun. He wore gi that matched both his fathers and Piccolos; the baggy outerwear was a deep purple in color, while his sash and sleeved undershirt were a bright blue. His boots, too, while much like his fathers, was instead a shade of brown more associated with Piccolos attire.

As he landed gently near 18 and Krillin, his aquamarine eyes first glanced quizzically at the two, then up towards the ridge; he had continued to maintain the Super Saiyan form as his 'base' form even after the Cell games, as he wanted to remain prepared for whatever new enemies might rise up later. He shifted his gaze back to the couple after a few moments. "What happened?" he simply asked.

Krillin was now walking with 18, supporting her even as she gently protested. "Idiot me let 18 come along; Trunks went crazy and tried to kill her!" He spat at the ground, obviously angry at himself. "I'm going to take her back to Capsule Corp so we can get her a good doctor." He glanced back up at the ridge. "Make sure we're not there before you bring _him_ back."

Gohan nodded as Krillin, now taking 18 into a fireman's carry, flew off back the way they came from. Focusing his ki, he hopped up the short ridge and landed near where Trunks had smashed 18 through the ground. That, of course, didn't even register in his mind, his attention instead focused on the young man in front of him; Trunks was sitting there, his head buried deep into his hands, and the erratic bouncing of his shoulders only made his silence that much worse.

Sighing, Gohan walked over and crouched beside Trunks, placing a hand on his shoulder. For several minutes, nothing was said or done, and the latter didn't even act as if he'd acknowledged Gohans existence. Finally, though, his shoulders stopped jumping, his hands fell from his face, and Gohan saw the pain caused by equal parts fear, doubt, hatred, and loathing. It took another few minutes before Trunks spoke, his voice trembling. "What's wrong with me, Gohan?"

Gohan only shook his head. "Nothing, Trunks...it's okay." He squeezed his shoulder. "Lets get you home, yeah? I think I've got some ideas on what we can do."

Trunks smiled, though it was not a happy one. "Yeah," he said plainly.

As the two slowly flew up and away, a nearby figure slipped off of the tree branch he'd been sitting on, falling with grace to the ground. For nearly a minute, Vegeta looked at the ground in silence, absentmindedly letting the boys gain distance. It didn't take long before he, too, made his was slowly back to Capsule Corp.


	3. Chapter 3: Consequences

"Owww!" 18 hissed as Krillin landed minutes later on the front lawn of the Bulma's Capsule Corporation-approved mansion. "I think my rib's a bit busted..."

Krillin frowned as he assisted her towards the door. "Well, Bulma probably keeps a few Senzu beans around for these occasions...I dunno if Vegeta uses them or not, though."

18 winced as she, with his assistance, hobbled up through the automatic door. "Like I care what he thinks."

The large, two-room spanning entryway had several guest amenities, including a few obviously-expensive couches. Choosing what looked to be the most comfortable one out of the bunch, Krillin gently brought 18 over to it and laid her down. She protested at first, before eventually quietening down as she finally gave up and relaxed on the couch.

As Krillin began searching for the illustrious, wealthy woman of the house, Gohan and Trunks continued their slow trek back. Gohan flew just behind the older boy, letting him set the pace for the journey. Trunks, for his part, didn't even seem to be paying attention to the trip; his arms were crossed, and he was looking at the ground below them as they flew, obviously staring at nothing in particular. His ki was flickering like a candle's flame, gently spiking every few moments before settling into a tame, predictable flutter. Gohan could see that his outburst in the forest only relieved some of the internal pressure, and it would only be a matter of time before it happened again; reluctantly, he increased his speed, bringing himself alongside his traveling partner.

Trunks stayed quiet, the rushing air creating the only noise between them. A minute or so passed before Gohan gently spoke up. "I'm sorry, Trunks."

For a moment, Trunks slowed down, caught off guard. "Sorry?" After a moment, he spoke again. "What for?"

Gohan simply shrugged. "For everything. I can only imagine how...tough this is for you."

Trunks waited a short while before simply shrugging. "I shouldn't have attacked...18, or whoever she is now." He turned his head and glanced over at Gohan. "You could've told me about her, though. I mean..." he trailed off, knowing he still would've been pretty angry, even if he'd known. "What about 17, is he alive too?"

Gohan nodded. "It seems like whatever Gero did to them in your time didn't happen here." He smirked. "Besides, it seems Krillin's found somebody nice enough..."

Trunks nearly tumbled through the air as he did a double-take in surprise. "What!? Seriously!?"

Gohan just laughed. "I dunno. Maybe, maybe not. She doesn't seem all THAT bad..."

Trunks grunted, unsure. "I suppose we'll see about that."

Gohan let the matter drop for the moment. Another minute passed before he spoke again. "I was thinking...maybe we could use the Dragon Balls to wish your time machine back into working order? If nothing else, maybe the Dragon could tell you why it's not working, or even send you back on his own!"

Trunks looked back at him, and seemed to mull it over a bit. "Maybe that would work...I never got to use the Dragon Balls in my time, for obvious reasons" He frowned. "Still got about half a year before they're ready to use again, right?"

Gohan nodded.

"So, what am I supposed to do in the meantime?"

Gohan glanced off to the side, thinking. "I dunno, I haven't thought that far ahead. You could train some more...if that's what you want to do."

Trunks frowned as he thought about it; in the back of his mind, he could feel Krillins ki, and he knew they were getting close to their destination. "I...would like to see some sights. The Androids of my time haven't destroyed much of nature, but a lot of cities are nothing but rubble. It'd be nice to see them now...as they should be."

Gohan nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me. Besides, you've earned a bit of a vacation, yeah?"

Trunks let that word roll around his head; it was such an alien word to him, he honestly had to remember what it meant. "I guess I earned it...I mean, I wasn't the one to defeat Cell..."

Gohan shrugged. "So? You helped, you learned about the Androids, and when the time comes, you'll be able to get rid of them in your time." He smiled and threw a thumbs-up.

Trunks chuckled for the first time in a long while, and returned the gesture with enthusiasm.

About five minutes of relative silence later, the two landed outside of Bulmas mansion. Both could sense that Krillin was still here, and commons sense meant that 18 was also still here. Gohan cast a glance at Trunks, tilting his head just slightly. Trunks nodded gently, and was the first to move towards the door.

Entering the massive entry room, Trunks quickly spied three people near a couch on the right; Krillin and Bulma were standing near 18, who was now sitting upright on the expensive couch. Krillin was the first to notice the two boys entering, and he cast a very heated look Trunks way.

"Just a few more scans here..." Bulma said absentmindedly as she held a small scanner up to 18, whose health appeared to be much better thanks to a well-chewed Senzu Bean. "Okay, looks like you're good," Bulma said as she closed the scanner back into Capsule form. "I can't say Gero's implants aren't sturdy, that's for sure."

The blonde only nodded. "Yeah. I appreciate it, ma'am." she said a bit coldly, trying to be as polite as possible. "Now that our beach trip's been canceled, I..." her words stopped as she spied Trunks and Gohan standing near the door; Trunks' eyes caught hers for just a brief moment, and his gaze shot downward in shame.

Turning to follow the gaze, Bulma reacted with a mixture of worry and happiness. "Trunks, you're finally back! Really wish you had told somebody where you were-", her words were cut off as 18 stood up quickly and power-walked across the room straight towards the two boys.

Trunks looked up again, and fear gripped him again as she stepped right up to him; in a panic, he closed his eye and waited as everyone in the room seemed to quietly draw a breath. Seconds passed, and he gently opened his eyes. Just when he realized that 18 was still standing in front of him, she back-handed him hard enough that he flew up against the wall, leaving a Trunks-shaped indention into it's space-age material.

Bulma gave the android a look that would've blistered a demon. "Excuse me!" she yelled. "That's my son you just slapped!"

18 turned around and gave the iciest stare she could. "So what? I think you can agree he did far worse to me, yeah!?"

Bulma took two steps forward, the look on her face unchanged. "Oh, and I'm sure you and your brother had such nice plans for humanity after you offed Gero, didn't you? I surely doubt you deserved anything, did you?"

18, however, had taken enough. "You know what? I don't deserve any crap from you. I've done nothing since what happened with Cell," she said as she glanced back at Trunks, who was just now standing back up. "And I certainly haven't done anything to deserve _this_." With that, she simply turned and walked out of the house.

"Gee, thanks, Bulma." Krillin grouched as he jogged towards the entrance, trying to ignore Gohan and Trunks as he too left. Bulma gave him the ugly stare, too, as he left, before turning her attentions to Trunks as she walked up to the two boys. Before Trunk could gather himself to apologize, she smacked him herself.

"Mom!" Trunk yelled, "What was that for!?"

"For making us both out to be giant butts, that's what!" she yelled back. "I know it's not been the best of months for you, but I have enough to handle with your brooding man-child of a father, and I expect that you'll act better than this from now on." She lifted his chin with her hand, forcing him to look her in the eye. "Am I clear on that?"

"Yes ma'am!" Trunks replied as he stood up straight.

She nodded. "Good. Now, Gohan," she said, turning towards the other boy, "If you wouldn't mind waiting for Trunks to clean himself up, I think he needs to run a few errands for me to cool his head. I'm sure he'd be happy to have a 'local' tag along, if you wouldn't mind."

Gohan rubbed the back of his neck gently. "Um, yeah, sure – Mom gave me the day off, for once."

Bulma grinned. "Good to hear!" She turned her attentions, and her tone, back to Trunks. "Now, mister, I think I hear a shower calling your name."

"Yes, mom..." Trunks groaned as he made his way towards the shower room.


	4. Chapter 4: Tickled Pink

Gohan was so very, _very_ glad he had brought a change of clothes.

He stifled another snicker back as he continued to listen to mother-and-son bickering. Gohan himself had changed into his mother-approved outfit; black slacks, a white, button-up t-shirt, and shiny black shoes.

"MOM! It's pink! PINK!" Trunks yelled, pointing out the obvious about the polo shirt Bulma had picked out for him to wear. The khaki shorts and black sneakers were okay, apparently, but even Gohan had to admit that Bulmas insistence on the shirt was suspicious. It didn't help that the shade of pink brought images of both stomach aides and lipsticks to Gohans mind.

"Yeah, so!?" Bulma yelled back as she appraised the 'Goodman'-brand shirt with her eyes. "Looks fine to me!"

"But it's PINK!"

"SO!?"

Before the two could continue, a very annoyed figure stepped through the front door, his typical frown very much present upon his face. He, of course, was in his usual white and brown battle armor overlaying a blue, skin-tight suit.

"What the devil is..." Vegeta began to howl, only to stop dead in his tracks as he spied Bulma and Trunks glaring at each other. This lasted for a moment longer, before they quickly turned their gazes at him.

"BAH!" the Saiyan prince spurted, apparently having a harder time holding back his amusement than Gohan was. "I believe you've finally found a fitting color for the boy! Maybe you'll have to give him an armor set with those colors, too, to complete his wardrobe!" Vegeta cackled again, agitating Trunks further.

Smiling, Bulma focused her attention at the new arrival. "Well, pardon me, O' Mighty Saiyan Prince," she spoke sweetly, with all the intentions of a seducing succubus, as she sauntered up to him and swooned into his chest. "But I'll never forget how handsome you look in that nice button-up shirt I gave you a few years back..."

Vegetas eyes widened, and he took a quick step back as a bit of redness flushed his cheeks. "Well, that's...that's just too bad! I burned it; burned it with fire!"

At this point, the two adults had seemingly forgotten about the two perplexed boys in the room. Bulma switched tactics, turning her body to face him completely, and giving him her best war-face possible while putting her hands on her hips. "Oh, you did, did you!?"

"YEAH!" Vegeta yelled as he moved, unconsciously, into a defensive battle stance. "I needed something nice and bright for target practice, and lo' and behold, there it was!"

"Are you sure about all that, O' Prince!?" she retorted half-mockingly. "Seems I remember a recently-worn shirt just like that one in the wash...with a couple of its siblings, too!" She smirked fiendishly as Vegeta growled, his cheeks turning tomato-worthy shades of crimson. "Why," she continued, "if I'm not mistaken, they're drying in the machine right now..."

"Oh, they'll be really dry when I get my hands on them!" Vegeta replied, attempting to regain his composure as he clenched his fists.

She maintained her wicked grin as she crossed her arms and tossed her head to the side, sticking her nose up in the air. "Not if I get to them first!" She spun around to leave the room, and then cast a playful glance back at Vegeta over her shoulder. "Besides, you haven't even SEEN the other armors I've made for you..."

"W-W-What!?" was all Vegeta could stammer as she bounced her way into an adjacent hallway, taking the lead against the stunned Prince. Though it was obvious he was glaring at her as she left, it was also clear that the gears turning in his head weren't quite reflected by his facial expressions. "Woman, you get back here right now!" He yelled in futility before quickly giving chase, leaving a thankful Trunks and Gohan alone and forgotten.

The two spent the entirety of the next minute in an awkward, embarrassed silence. Finally, after a few moments of internal debate, Gohan spoke up in a squeaky whisper; "Did we just...see what I think we saw?"

"No." Trunks said all too dismissively, his slightly horrified face still frozen facing the hallway.

Gohan gave him a worried look, his eyes still open wide. "Are you sure?"

Trunks was silent for a moment. "No."

Gohans eyes went wider still. "Can we just go now!?"

Trunks didn't vocally answer; instead, he quickly grabbed the list of chores his mother wanted done, and bolted out the door almost faster than it could open. Gohan himself quickly fell in behind him, and they both blasted off into flight without a second thought in regards to whatever was now going on in the house behind them.

* * *

Several silent minutes of high-speed flight saw the duo to Central City; Trunks stopped and gawked at the sight, amazed at the size and complexity of it.

Gohan glanced at the awed teen. "What's up?"

"It's...incredible. Central City was one of the first places destroyed by the Androids in my time. Me and mom were never really sure why, we just figured it was because of the whole 'King of the Earth' thing."

Gohan nodded. "Makes sense. It is the Capitol of the World, after all..."

Trunks cast a glance of suspicion. "I don't know about all that, but...it's definitely seems like a place where the elite go and live. No wonder Mom wanted us here; there's probably things here that you can only get here." He motioned to the ground below, where the outskirts of the city sprawled outward like tentacles. "Shall we?"

Gohan nodded a moment later, and the two quickly found a quiet spot to land in so they wouldn't scare the locals.

It didn't take long before Trunks stopped again; this time they were deeper into the city, and the sounds of hundreds of individuals flooded the air. Traffic noises, multiple conversations, hundreds of smells; all of it began to overwhelm the teenager as he struggled to process the existence of such a dense crowd of people.

Gohan poked his ribs, hoping to draw his attention away from the crowd even as he was ignoring the subtle look from the older people who frowned at his own blonde 'dye' job. "Hey, do we need to head out of here?"

Trunks swallowed, gritted his teeth, and focused. "No, no...I'm fine. I've got to be." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the paper Bulma had written down her instructions on; he'd been so focused on his shirt that he hadn't even read it.

"So, what are we here for, then?" Gohan quipped, truthfully as ready to leave as Trunks was. He started looking around, trying to see if there were any shops nearby.

"I dunno...lets see here..." Trunks unfolded the paper and stared a good few moments before a slow chuckle. He sniffled, and rubbed a small bit of water from his eye.

"What's up?" Gohan said as he glanced back at Trunks, oblivious to the momentary tear that had been shed.

"Nothing...nothing at all." Trunks folded up the paper and stuck it back in his pocket. For a few moments he glanced across the skyline, as if reading the skyscrapers like morning newspapers. Finally, he slapped Gohans shoulder with enough force to elicit a surprise yelp, and simply said, "Let's go see the sights."

"What?" Gohan said, rubbing his shoulder. "What about those errands?"

Trunks only smirked. "We'll get to them, eventually. Besides, gotta give Mom and Dad some...time." He shook his head with another chuckle, then began walking down the street.

"Ew ew EW!" Gohan yelled, mentally doing his best to scrub the implanted thoughts from his head. A moment later, now sadly picturing a pair Master Roshi's underwear, he jogged, eager to keep up with the starstruck Trunks.

 _Trunks,_

 _I know I told you I had a list of errands; if you'd really, really like to, you can look around Central City and see if there's anything fancy I might like; chances are, you can give to 18 as an apology. In fact, consider that my first errand!_

 _Honestly, though, I sent you out for a different reason; you're my son, no matter from when, where, or how, and I hate to see you as you are right now. I want to see you smile, and laugh, and love. Being cooped up here at Capsule Corp isn't helping you at all...just like that stupid Time Machine. I know it doesn't work right now, but moping about it won't do you any good! So go out there, and find something fun, something just for you. Go talk to some girls, get some food, play some games, see the sights, or whatever you want – the day is yours to be had._

 _Love,_

 _Mother Dearest_

 _P.S. Chocolate-covered strawberries – get them, and make sure they're King Furry brand, or I'll have to send Vegeta to do it, and...that's just not the best thing to do._

* * *

Author's Notes: FINALLY, a not-so-serious chapter! In all honesty, I didn't really plan this one out; I've always been interested in the relationships of DBZ characters, especially Vegeta/Bulma and Krillin/18, so I figured I'd attempt to show some sort of chemistry whenever possible. I hope I hit the humor on the head, as it were...and hopefully you all liked it! Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5: Reveal of 'G'

_Writer's Note: Sorry this took so long! So much procrastination! However, this is the longest chapter by a slim margin, so...profit?_

* * *

Given that the two half-Saiyans had all the day to themselves, they quickly found there were a lot of things to do in Central City; they explored a large building entitled the "World History Building" which seemed to be missing a few key details about history, perused the Purri Grand Mall, which was the largest mall in all of the cities, and eventually found themselves in Aimont Park, whose only rival in size was the Capsule Corp Park in West City.

"So," Trunks said as the two sat on a bench, chowing down on some fried dough-balls covered in powdered sugar, "I've always wondered what everybody did for a living."

Gohan stuck another one in his mouth a chewed a bit. "You mean, like jobs and whatnot?" he said as he swallowed the chewed mass.

Trunks nodded, stuffing his mouth again as he did so.

Gohan thought for a moment. "Well, Yamcha's a baseball player with the West City Taitans; Krillin started a Martial Arts center..."

Trunks sputtered loudly. "What!? Krillin, an instructor?"

Gohan giggled gently. "That's what I said. Then again, he is one of the the most strongest humans on Earth, so it kinda makes sense once you think about it."

Trunks blinked a few times, thinking. "Okay, yeah, I can get that."

Gohan nodded, continuing. "Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu are wanders, probably training and working the odd job here and there, so I can't say they have a particular job beyond that. And as far as me and my parents...well, me and mom go, we're farmers. You make good money for honest work that way." With that in mind, he gobbled down one of the last dough-balls.

As the two fell into another silence, staring off across the distance of the park, they were unaware of the stranger nearby, standing under a tree just about a dozen meters behind them. The man was tall, light skinned, and had a lean, though muscular build. His clothing consisted of an olive colored, sleeveless jacket, under which he was wearing a black, long-sleeve shirt. His jeans were a bluish gray, with very little slack to them, and his black combat boots appeared to be well-maintained.

He glared across the empty space between himself and the boys with icy green eyes, his arms crossed absentmindedly. His graying red hair was styled like a mohawk, but the hair itself was tied into a short ponytail behind his head, leaving one dangling spike of a bang hanging down just in front of his eyebrows. Both the bang and the ponytail swayed gently in the park breeze, in start contrast to his rigid pose.

He glanced around, allowing himself to stop focusing on the two for a few moments and he planned out his next few moves. He had been lucky since he'd arrived; he'd seen the two fly in towards Central City, and had managed to maintain a close eye on them since. It had become apparent that his information about the mightiest Earth warriors was at least partially inaccurate; he hadn't expected or realized, for one, that the Super Saiyan form could be maintained practically indefinitely, as Gohan was clearly showing.

He snapped his eyes back upon the two, eventually focusing solely on Gohan. _'Yes, he will do,'_ he thought to himself, his hand twitching absentmindedly. _'I simply must find a distraction...'_ He glanced around again, checking all the buildings around the park for potential weaknesses, eventually spotting an apartment complex older than most of the nearby buildings. Glancing back at the two unsuspecting boys, he smiled slightly before turning his gaze back to the building. _'Thankfully, I have some power of my own to spare...'_ he thought to himself as he focused on the second story level of the apartments.

He focused, and his pupils quickly gained a red, sinister glow. With one simple thought, two red bursts shot out from his eyes, streaking at superhuman speeds into the apartments. The bursts were designed to be kinetic in nature, and as such tore through the building with maximum impact force, leaving the building heavily damaged but structurally functional, if fragile. He had already begun moving to a new location before anyone around had realized the building had been damaged.

Gohan and Trunks whipped around, and gasped as they saw the complex crumbling apart from the attack. The two looked at each other, nodded quickly, then began towards the building. Before they took a step, Gohan stopped Trunks for a second. "We gotta be careful; we cant let anyone else see us do our usual thing. Low key, right?"

Trunks frowned, he himself really unconcerned with what other people saw. But, understanding that it was perhaps for the best, he nodded. "Yeah, will do. How are we going to get there quick, though?"

Gohan simply smiled. "We'll just have to make sure nobody sees us, huh?"

Trunks returned the smile, and the two carefully speed-dashed through the park, making their way to the damaged building in only a matter of a minute. By that point it was obvious the support structures for the building were beginning to give way, and it was clear it wasn't going to stand much longer.

As they made their way into the building, determined to seek out anyone still trapped inside the rubble, the lone figure slunk in behind them, stalking his prey into the chaos. Trunks was the first inside, and he quickly placed a hand over his mouth as the dust and smoke filled the air. Gohan was not far behind, having already hiked his white shirt over his nose to help with the air. The two quickly barged through the first apartment door they found, and discovered it was thankfully empty.

As they moved to the second apartment, the mysterious figure slid beyond their peripheral vision and into the first; he allowed himself a small smile as he used his abilities to keep track of them, even as they knew nothing of him. The two, meanwhile, had discovered an elderly lady in the second apartment, and Gohan rushed her out the way they came even as Trunks ventured further down.

Trunks, rushing towards the exit with a mother and child in tow, nodded approvingly at Gohan as he rushed past the returning teen. As the three made their way out of the building, Gohan moved in front of the first apartments door; that's when the stranger struck, reaching out from the obscured air to grab the boy, covering Gohans mouth with one hand as the other drew him into the room.

Gohan yelped in surprise, but the large hand of his abductor prevented much of the sound from being audible; he attempted to struggle, but found the strength holding him was much stronger than any human he'd ever met. It was also in those moments that he felt small, unnaturally-cold domes form in the palms of his opponent, and an unreal sense of understanding dawned upon him just moments too late.

The Android now grinned in earnest as he began to leech energy from the boy, paralyzing the half-Saiyan before he had much of a chance to truly struggle. "I'm so sorry, young Gohan," the Android spoke in a gravely sarcastic voice, "but I just need to...borrow this energy for a while." His grin moved into a sinister smile as his strength grew inversely to Gohans, and the Android tightened his grip as if he was juicing an obscenely large orange.

Gohan attempted to power up in order to overwhelm his foe, but the only sad result was a surge of energy that was now given to his captor, and a few discharges of blue energy. His hair began to flicker back to its 'normal' black color as the Android worked quickly, trying to sap the youth before he was discovered by the future Trunks.

Unfortunately, he could already tell that plan would not come to fruition; although the teenager had run past the room earlier, ignoring it just as much as Gohan had, he had realized his companion was missing only a few moments before Gohan attempted to release himself. As a frightened cat, the lone inhabitant of the last apartment room, ran for the exit at high feline speeds, Trunks yelled over the flickering of the flames and the groaning of the building. "Gohan! Gohan!? Where did you go?"

Now worried, Trunks scanned the hallway, seeing no visual trace of his friend. He focused, and quickly felt... _something_ ; no, some _one_ getting weaker. He quickly ran down the hall towards it source: the first apartment.

Frowning but satisfied with the energy gathered, the Android uncurled his hold and spun the nearly-comatose Gohan around, giving the boy one good look at him before he shoved him backwards through the door, imparting enough force to not only send him flying out, but also through the wall opposite of the door. Trunks skidded to a stop just short of the apartment, surprised at nearly being slapped by an unconscious, black-haired Gohan.

As the teen stumbled over the rubble to grab his fallen friend, the Android made a quick leap through the ceiling and flew off at high speed, making his way north. It didn't take but a few moments for Trunks to drag Gohan out of the building, carrying the boy slung over his shoulder. The emergency response crews were arriving now, and in the confusion Trunks managed to slip away from everyone; still unaware of Gohans assailant, he leaped into the air and, not knowing what else to do, began flying back to West City as fast as possible.

Meanwhile, the Android itself quickly made it's way to the mountain ridge north of Central City, and after crossing a decently-sized river landed at a desolate base of one of those mountains. _'Here will do,'_ he mused, knowing that any of the great warriors would be able to sense him once it was complete. Sighing, he dropped down to one knee and, with arm on elbow, began to focus deep into his core.

There was more to him than machinery; organs, flesh, and tissue laced with cybernetics, hoses, and wires. Most of this cyborg technology was dormant, however, thanks to the amount of power it would take to use them. None of that interested him at the moment, though; instead, he focused on two particular identical pieces in his chest, the greatest work his mind had ever produced. _'There!'_ he exclaimed to himself as he felt the two Reactionless Power Emission units lying dormant within him.

A small smile crossed his face; he remembered well how he'd attained them. How he'd waited, slowly, as his mind uploaded itself into the Cell program. After awakening long after 17 and 18 had allegedly killed him, it took him very little time to customize the body to his liking. It also took him very little time to track them down, especially since they brazenly flew across the world, uncontested in their mayhem. The resulting combat had been messy, but necessary; he needed their power for what was to come, and he figured two more dead Androids were only going to do the world better.

Gero shook his head, redoubling his focus. The RPE units had shut down after their 'emergency' removal, and their complex, multidimensional geometries interfered heavily with the time-traveling process. This, coupled with their current location in his body, meant that they had to be 'kickstarted' back into operation, and that required quite a bit of natural energy...energy that he now had.

White electrical bolts began to discharge all around him as he focused, channeling the power he'd absorbed into one of the RPE units. The ground began to tremble in tune with his own body, as he began to burn through Gohans energy at a far faster rate than he'd anticipated. Pain cut away at the edges of his senses, and soon every part of him began to feel as if death was coming to take him.

There, among the seeds of doubt, he felt it deep inside; the machine was taking now of it's own will, and a familiar pulse was beginning to hum from within. A large smile cross Gero's face as new fountains of energy sprang from within the RPE, flooding his body with a warmth unlike any earthly force. He stood, eventually finding himself floating as the power coursed through his veins, pushing his body to new maximums and activating systems that had been long dormant.

He cackled as a white aura surrounded him, his transformation complete; Gero the Android had taken a large step into becoming Gero the Conqueror, and it wouldn't be long now before the inevitable conflict between himself and the warriors of Earth. So Gero allowed himself to drop to his feet again, and it was there he waited.

As he predicted, he would not have to wait long.


	6. Chapter 6: Clash of the Titans

Piccolo had so far been meditating for the whole day, focusing on his inner energies in an effort to find harmony. It was more difficult than it should've been, as his fusion with Kami during the fight against the Androids had left him with some unusual problems. The fusion was supposed to be a good thing, as the two were each separate parts of the same being who arrived from Namek many years ago; unfortunately, many things had changed them individually over the years, and while the fusion had been successful in the short-term, Piccolo had struggled internally since.

Despite this struggle, he'd been able to keep tabs on Trunks and Gohan, which allowed him to bear the first witness to Gero's awakening. Sensing only Trunks leaving Central City was strange enough, but feeling Gohans stolen energy awaken another aura entirely gave him plenty of concern, and he found himself flying at high speed even as he relegated his problems to the back of his mind.

It only took few minutes before he gently landed at the base of the mountains where Gero stood, patiently waiting to see who would arrive. The two stared at each other as Piccolo arrived, both of them studying the other carefully. Gero stood there patiently, arms behind his back as his eyes tracked Piccolos descent; meanwhile, Piccolo took notes of Gero's physical traits, unaware of why this person looked like both the Gero he knew, and Android 16.

The two stood for a minute silently, meters apart, as they gauged each others intentions. Eventually, it was Piccolo who spoke, breaking the uneasy silence. "I don't know who you are, and I honestly don't really care, but I'll only ask once; where is Gohan?"

Gero only smiled slightly. "Last I knew, he was...as fine as I could've left him."

Piccolo narrowed his eyes, grunting in irritation. "Why don't I believe that?"

Gero laughed as he crossed his arms. "Why, the boy was so tired, having wandered Central City...I simply thought he needed a nap. Besides," he said as he let his head drop slightly, "I needed his energy more than he did, Piccolo."

Piccolo didn't need to respond; he'd heard that voice before, and closely enough to identify it. "I don't know how you survived, Gero, but even a Super Saiyans energy won't help you out now." He smirked even as he glared at Gero. "You were bested by your own creation, whereas I was able to fight on his level."

Hiding his lack of knowledge of recent events as best he could, thanks to time-traveling obviously changing history, Gero gave a flat stare to the Namekian. "So, you could handle 17, huh," he said in an incredulous tone. "I highly doubt that. Honestly, though, if it's true, then I'm quite sad...I was hoping to use his and 18's mechanics to supplement my own."

His opponent scoffed, unaware of Gero's absence of memory. "Even if you did try to take them, I doubt they'd just hand themselves over. Besides, 18 was able to handle Vegeta when he was Super Saiyan, so I doubt you'd still be much trouble."

Gero smiled, settling aside his inability to understand why the Androids were still alive. "You think me still inferior to a Super Saiyan? Who are you to judge, being an overgrown slug?" He gave a curt laugh. "It doesn't matter, anyway. I've waited long enough...between the ridicule, the loss of the Red Ribbon Army, and my son, I've got plenty of reasons to crush this world into the palm of my hand." The air around him wavered as he let his new-found energy rise. "So bow before your Conqueror, and I may just spare you."

Piccolos scowl intensified, with a bit of growling added in for good measure. "So that's how it's going to be then...didn't figure someone like you would listen to peaceful reasoning, anyway." With that, the Namekian dashed across the distance, letting his power rise as he launched a straight punch at Gero.

Gero dodged the blow with a moderate degree of difficulty, noting in surprise that the strike itself was well within the range of someone of Super Saiyan levels of strength. He replied to this notion by swinging an elbow at Piccolos face, which only hit only empty air; the Namekian, continuing the momentum of his punch, rolled out of the way of the oncoming elbow and into a crouched position just behind Gero.

Piccolo, throwing his weighted turban and cape off, roared as he charged Gero, ramming the Android hard with his shoulder. Gero slid across the ground by his toes for only a meter or so before stopping, and he crouched down into a defensive stance. Without another thought or word, the two charged each other with fists clenched...

* * *

Trunks had nearly made it back to the Capsule Corp headquarters when he felt the spike in power. He stopped dead in the air as he felt _Gohan_ in the distance, despite the fact the young half-Saiyan was draped over his shoulder. As the aura was replaced by an entirely new, unknown one, Trunks realized he had to go to investigate this new power as quickly as possible.

Even as he moved in for a landing, he began to sense Piccolo near where the weird power had been focused, which gave him little cause for comfort. He ran through the front door, startling a couch-lounging Bulma. "Mom! Do you have any Senzu Beans?"

Regaining her composure, she quickly noticed the unconscious, black-haired Gohan. "No, I don't – what happened?"

Trunks shrugged after laying Gohan across another couch. "I dunno, but I just sensed some weird energy up in the north...it seemed like Gohan, at first, but it changed into something else..." He looked around, thinking. "Two questions mom; one, where's my armor, and two, can you take him to the Lookout?"

Bulma glanced between the two boys, lost and unsure. "Look, I have no idea what's going on, so can you at least give me a second?"

"Mom, I can't!" Trunks shouted. "Gohan's always in Super Saiyan, even when unconscious. Something nearly killed him draining his energy, and the only thing I know can do that is..."

Bulma slumped her shoulders. "An Android. Seriously? Where does Gero hide all his toys!?"

Before he could continue their conversation, he felt the spike in power between Piccolo and his opponent. "Yep, knew it was going to be bad – Piccolo's with that other power I sensed, and if I'd hazard a guess, a fight's about to break out. So...?" he queried as he turned back to her.

She sighed reluctantly. "Yes, I'll take him; hopefully Dende can work his healing hands fast enough for Gohan to join you." As she moved over towards Gohan, she nodded to a nearby hallway. "Also, second room on the left." She stopped short as she hear automatic shutters kick open towards the back of the house. Trunks, on the other hand, could sense that his father had powered up, and had seemingly leaped clear through the building before making fast speed towards Piccolo's location.

"Wow," Trunks said after a quite moment passed. "Did Dad just fly through the building?"

Bulma chuckled before leaning down to pick up Gohan, a twinkle in her eye. "No. I installed a vertical shaft near the gravity room, in case he ever needed to fly off to save the day."

Trunks, thinking for a moment, simply smiled. "Mom, have I ever told you that you're the best?"

She grunted as she hoisted Gohan over her shoulder, clearly not as strong as any of the Earth warriors she knew. "Did you bring those strawberries like I asked?" she said after she caught her breath.

"Oh, yeah!" he replied, having forgotten about the bag dangling on his hand.

"Then, yes, you have." She said, smiling. "Try to put them in the 'fridge before you go!"

Nervously returning the smile, he ran towards the hallway as she moved towards the front door.

* * *

Piccolo, remembering the Gero he fought earlier that year, had severely underestimated his opponent. Of course, it was a bit late to realize this now, as Gero was dragging him mercilessly across the ground, leaving a small, rocky ditch in their wake. The Android then threw him in to the air, and roundhouse-kicked him into the dirt before he had a chance to recover.

It only took a moment for Piccolo to stand again, though it took a little more effort than he'd have liked to admit. Above him, Gero cackled in glee. "Come now, Piccolo, I thought you said you were stronger than this!?" He continued laughing as he gently lowered himself to the ground. "Tell me, is this the best you've got? Will I need to wait for Prince Vegeta, or Son Goku, before I have to _really_ start fighting?"

Piccolo chuckled in amusement. "Seems like you're a bit out of touch with current events; Son Goku died in the fight against your little pet project, 'Cell'".

Gero's facade broke for a moment as surprise crossed his face, but he quickly regained his composure. "Good; that just leaves the good Saiyan Prince, you, and the rest of your pathetic cadre of warriors. If Cell could kill the best of you, then I shouldn't have any trouble at all." He sneered triumphantly at Piccolo. "So much for being a 'Super Namekian'..."

Piccolo's only reply was snort, as he was getting tired of Gero's insults. "I was trying to go easy on you, old man." He casually brushed the dirt off of his purple gi before glancing back at Gero. "Guess I should take you a bit more seriously this time around."

Gero groaned, crossing his arms. "Typical trite heroic banter; how predictably boring of you, Piccolo. I suppose I should just finish this now..." He bent his knees just for a moment before leaping towards Piccolo, intent on ending the Namekians life with the clenched fist he'd drawn to his side.

Piccolo smiled as the Android bridged the gap between them; mentally removing the last inhibitions that were keeping his power in check, he reached out and grabbed Gero's fist as the Android punched at his face. His smile shifting into a frown, Piccolo pulled Gero by said fist off to the side, and delivered a right hook square to the Androids jaw hard enough to send him flying.

Gero, surprised at the force and speed of the counter-attack, leveled himself and readied his defensive posture; unfortunately, he was too late, as Piccolo quickly delivered a flying knee to Gero's stomach, sending him sliding backwards as he reeled in pain. He stopped a short distance away, though he found it difficult to stand.

In front of him, Piccolo had lowered his stance, with his hands cupping the space in front of his stomach. Yellow energy quickly began to flicker and intensify as he focused his ki into a solid blast. Within moments, the flickers were illuminating the entire surrounding area. "Hellzone...Grenade...FIRE!" Piccolo roared as he thrust his hands forward, propelling the high-explosive blast directly at Gero.

Gero, however, saw opportunity; without missing a beat, he threw up a hand towards the blast, seemingly intent on blocking the blast. Instead, however, a red orb produced itself from a slit in his palm, and within moments the yellow blast had been reduced to a dwindling swirl in Gero's palm.

Piccolo groaned. "Of all the things to forget about..."

Gero simply laughed, slightly rejuvenated by the Grenade's energy. "Come now, Piccolo, don't be mad; we're nowhere near done with our little fight. You're little surprise forces me to show my...full potential."

Piccolo grunted, regaining his composure. "Typical villainous trite banter; who's pathetic now, Doctor?" He smiled as he began focusing his ki, charging his body for the next round.

Gero roared in anger. "You dare mock me! I'll ensure that's the last time you do!" A white aura, complete with white lightning, surrounded Gero for a moment before he physically lunged at Piccolo again. The two titans clashed again, and the striking blows echoed across the mountainside.

* * *

 _Writers Note: Thanks to everyone for reading this story, and the positive reviews! To be very, very honest, this chapter almost didn't get done. My best friend/brosky, borgiabull, has been doing a really fantastic Dragon Ball Z fanfiction; and, to be quite honest, I love his more than I do mine. If you haven't checked it out, please do so! I like it so much I almost quit on 'Sacrifices' because his just reads so much better to me than mine does. As always, though, feel free to leave any comments, critiques, concerns, and compliments!_


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